If you are looking to gain hands on experience in the field of Apologetics where informed critics reside, IN THE WORD recommends two forums. Just click the link to the forum you wish to join and follow the directions on how to subscribe:
XIANITY: (intermediate level and up) One may subscribe and read an explanation of this list at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Xianity , or send an e-mail to Xianity-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Archives of discussions are accessible upon membership to this mailing list.
ERRANCY: (advanced level, very aggressive list) One may subscribe and read an explanation of this list at http://www.topica.com/lists/ii_errancy . If you would like to read the archives, or current discussions, of this ERRANCY list without joining, that same link will offer the archives without demanding membership.
Let us offer a few recommendations to Christians before involving themselves in these discussion lists:
1) Ask for God's direction in this. Ask Him if He would have you take part in this kind of discussion group. This isn't for everyone, and may not be for you.
2) If you join either one of the lists, read several posts before responding so that you understand the tone of discussion as well as the proper protocol for responding so that others can follow your responses.
3) Remember that you will be challenged - even to the point of being disturbed at times by what the atheists and unbelievers say on this list. These are heavy-weights. They may have "heard it all" before. In that sense, many are well-informed critics, but not always.
4) Remember that Mark McFall and Brian Lawson (from IN THE WORD Ministries), and other (outnumbered) Christians on these lists, have been disturbed and have prayed, studied, and found reasonable solutions to the arguments set forth by these skeptics. If you are ever disturbed to the point of unexpected doubt, remember that we have all been there, but have been patient for God's leading for answers, and God has provided.
5) If it seems that you have lost the argument at some point, but have demonstrated a loving attitude toward the skeptics, you have been a representative of Christ to them. If you seem to win the arguments, but mock their ideas and insult them as you make your points, you will not have been a representative of Christ to them. You may fail on either attitude or argument, but it is better to fail on the latter if you must. "Prayer before posting" will help out in this, and many other aspects of participating on these discussion lists. (see also our article: The Art of War in Apologetics)
6) If you pose an answer or an argument that is reasonable to yourself, but not to the skeptic, the skeptic will sometimes chide you for not having an answer good enough to convince them. Although you will want to consider their objections and questions, they may not be inclined to tell you that you made a good point when you have provided a reasonable to answer to them.
7) Realize in all of this that, if you are a Christian, your faith can grow as a result. However, some have involved themselves in lists like this and turned from Christ. We hope that they will return to the truth, that others will remain in the truth, and that more will come to a knowledge and a faith in the truth. But be ready to have your understandings, as well as your misunderstandings, put to the test. (see also our article: Thank God for the Skeptics!)
A Special Word About Words on the Errancy List
Let us here at IN THE WORD offer you some helpful advice if you are interested in joining the Errancy list: Errancy is owned by Farrell Till a retired professor of English, therefore, the tone of the list generally revolves around how well your command of the English language is presented. According to Mr. Till:
"Incoherent writing filled with mistakes in grammar, spelling, and syntax will not receive any respect from readers" (Errancy, 8/26/01).
Following that methodology, the standard critical approach from the skeptic is to attack your intellect through dismantling your writing skills before you even get off the ground. As one skeptic put it:
"Selectively pointing out grammatical and spelling errors in posts from [Christians] who claim to be experts in such fields in history and archaeology can be very effective." (Tim Taylor, Errancy, 2/18/01)
A good rule of thumb to remember is to manually proof read your post after you perform a spell check. Basic mistakes like: "their" for "there" and "you're" for "your" and "to" for "too" and "my" for "me" cannot be corrected by computers and stick out like sore thumbs. There are physicists, professors, physicians, teachers, and other highly educated people on Errancy that are able to get a feel for your education through examining what you have written.
Additional Strategic Pointers
Below are some common strategies that you may find helpful when you start seeing assertions and wild claims being made on these lists. Or, perhaps it could be a reminder of what to expect if you’re the one falling into this category. Either way, the following tactics have been proven effective concerning over-exaggerated appeals to ancient literature:
"When you hear these types of arguments, demand book, chapter, verse, qualification, references, and anything else you can think of to make them have to admit that: 1) They never read it themselves, 2) They don't know when it was written, 3) They don't know who wrote it. 4) They don't understand why it was written. 5) Why should we trust that particular source and etc. I can guarantee that once you question and probe their use of unqualified statements, or ‘blind side’ arguments, they will fall to pieces." (Errancy, J.E. Hill, 3/26/01)
"Qualification of sources, especially if challenged, is the responsibility of the one using the source. This is critically important if you're using a direct quote and the associated effect that quote has on the argument at hand. The degree of importance, of course, depends upon the argument and how your opponent would view the source. Many times a source is simply stipulated by the opposition as acceptable." (Errancy, J.E. Hill, 6/11/01)
"A basic requirement of critical argumentation is that any argument that a critic attempts to evaluate must be set out and sympathetically appreciated in the context of dialogue in which the argument occurs. This means that we must sometime contend with lengthy and complex arguments, and we must sometimes probe in depth the unstated parts of argument, the arguer's position and commitments as indicated by the evidence of the text, and the question that the argument was supposed to answer. This requirement means that if a criticism is to be made of an argument, or if the argument is to be called weak, erroneous, of even fallacious, substantial justification for the reasonableness of the criticism must be given in the form of documented evidence from the actual wording and context of the given argument." (Taken from: Informal Logic, A Handbook For Critical Argumentation, by Douglas N. Walton. Preface, page ix. {Posted on Errancy 5/16/01}).
Taking The Heat
If you’re Christian, it is important to roll with the punches on these type of lists. This means either/or:
1) Communicating acknowledgments that you understand your opponents position.
2) If proven to be so, acknowledge that you were wrong. In some cases, it is in your best interest to ask for the majority opinion regarding disputes...and accept it.
3) Admitting you just plain don’t have a coherent answer. There is no shame in that, because there is no such thing as a Bible Answer Man.
4) If you completely blow it in the worst possible way (whatever that may be), ADMIT your fault. This is important because it allows you to move-on to new issues with the approval and respect of the rest of the group.
Please note the following if you have never been on an e-mail discussion list:
Once you are properly registered on either list, you will begin to get quite a bit of e-mails from the discussion list. Our suggestion is that you don't go too long without checking your e-mail. In highly active times, if you don't check your mail for a few days, you might have 100 or so e-mails in your box.
Whenever you send an e-mail to the list, it will go to the list-server, and then back to you and everyone else on the list. This will help you know that your message did get through and that others have received it. Sometimes there are e-mail problems - so this feature will help you see when there is one. It will also remind you that everyone on the list will be able to read what you've written.
